Improvement in machines for cutting leather



HORACE H. BIGELOW, OE WORCESTER, MASSAGEUSEZIIS.

Letters Patent No. 113,618,7dated April 11, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING LEATHER.

The Schedule referred to h1 these Letters Patent and making part: of theSame.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HORACE H. Brannon', ofthe city and county oflVorcest-er and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machinesfor Cutting Leather; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a partof this specication, in whichy Figurel represents a Vfront view Aof myimproved leather-cutting machine Figure Zrepresents a side View of thesame;

Figure 3 represents a plan of the die-supporting spider; and ,Y

Fignrel represents a horizontal section of a portion of the machine,showing the feeding-dog and ratchet.

To enable those skilled in the art to whichm y invention belongs to makeand usethe saine, I'will proceed to describe itl more in detail.

-Thevnatnre of my invention consists- First, in the combination, withthe cutting-die, of a rotary bed or blockeand mechanism for rotating thesame, as and for thepurpose hereafter set forth.

Second, in the combination, with the. Vertical oper l. ting bar andcutting-die, of the peculiar connecting devices, as hereinafterdescribed.

rIhird, in the combination, `with the operating shaft anddriving-pulley, of peculiar clutch and stop vdevices, as hereafterdescribed. A

In the drawing- A indicates the supporting-frame.

B, the driving-pulley which operates the eccentric G.

D, the eccentric arm which is pivoted to the upper end of the verticaloperating bar E.

F is the cutting-die;

G, the rotating cutting-block or hed; and

H,-the starting treadlef Y rEhe rotating cutting-block or bed G issupported upon a circular plate, I, fixed to the upper end of apintle-bar, J, which latter forms a center' upon which the block G-turns.

The plate I is provided withdiagonal ratchet-teeth yor notches aroundits edge to receive the corresponding teeth upon theactnating dog Kbymeans of which the plate I and block G are rotated. Y

The plate I rests upon a screw-bolt, L, set in the front partvof theframe, and, by raising or depressing the screwlbolt,rthe block G can beadjusted to the `proper height.

The dog K, which rotates the block-supporting plate I, is 'connected bya curved rod, M, to the verti-4 die-spindle Q. -tig.i3, and worksloosely between the ring l? and platen upper part of the frame A, asindicated, and is operated `up anddown by the eccentric O and arm D in amanner similar' to the ordinary power punch.

To the lower end of the operating bar-is attached a circular platen, N,having at its under side-1a ring, l?, of' the same diameter as theplaten N, and secured thereto in this instance at three points by studsa.

Between the ring I and platen N is arranged an armed spider, O, whichissecnred to and supports the 'lhe spider O is of the forni shownin N.Its arms are of such length that the die-spindle Q can be moved to anyposition within the ring without the end of either arm being drawninside the circle..` i Y A swivel head, R',"is arranged upon the lowerend of the diespindle Q, in which the handle 0i' the cutting-die F issecurcdby a set-screw, d. The swivelhead It permits of the die beingturned in any direction, as desi-red.

' Ihe th'iving-pnlley yis hung loosely upon the eccentric shaft C', 'andupon the end ot' the shaft' ont- @side0 the pulley B is a crank, S,rigidly keyed to the shaft, and furnished at its end'with a pawl, T',which engages with ratchet-teeth aforlned upon the inside fofthepulley-rim, as indicated. The pawl is pressed outward by means of aspring, f, so that it will catch the teeth c when not otherwiseprevented. lAout-ved guard, V, is arranged at the side of the pulley B,and the pawl I is provided 'with a projectinglng,'e, which runs up ontothe guard V, and ther by throws the pawl out'of clutch with the teeth 'con the pulley-rim. v

The guard V is fixed to the end ot a transverse bar,

,`ai1d it can be moved outward, to disengage thc lng e, by means ot"abelI-crank lever, lV, fulcrnined at its heel to the rear part oi' theframe A, .and having its horizontal arm connected to the treadle H by arod,

mY, all of which is fully :illustrated in 4the drawing.

A suitable spring is arranged on the bar x to draw the guard vV up tothe side of the pulley B.

The operation of my improved leather-cutting machine is as follows:

The operator arranges the leather upon the block or cuttingbed Gr,places the die F in the proper position above the leather, and pressesdown the startingtreadle H with his foot. rllhe guard V'is thereby movedoutward to .free the pawl T, which is thrown outward by the spring f andcaught by the teeth con the pulley-rim. The pulley B being in motion revolves the crank S and shaft C', and the eccentric O pressing down thedie F in the manner heretofore eX-` plained,'forces it through theleather, while the dog K is carried below the ratchet of th'e plate I.Then, as the operating-bar and parts connected therewith rise, the dog Kengages the ratchet-and moves forward the plate l and block G, so thatthe next cut of the die F will fall upon the block G in a differentposition.

As the crankI S completes its revolution-the lug e runs up onto thegnard V, which throws out the pawl T, and the vmotion of the eccentricceases until the treadle H is again depressed. l

It will be observed that the rotation of the block or bed G prevents thedie from Wearing hollows in its upper surfaceby being used too long inone' place, as is` oft-en the case with a stationary block or .bed whenthe position of the die upon fthe block is governed by the operator. Therelative positions of the block and die in my improved machine beinggoverned wholly by mechanism, and independent of the operator, therblock is subjected to a uniform wear upon its wholel surface, and, as aconsequence, requires to be seldom trimmed off or leveled.

The cutting-die F may be attached to the swivelhead R by means ofsliding arms, adjusted by screw devices, so as to receive and holddifferent sizes of dies, which can thereby be readily attached anddetached to or from the die-spindle, and I have used for Ithis purpose aright-and-left screw, which I find to work admirably for the purpose.

The spider O may be made with a more or less number of arms than thatshown in the drawing when desired.

Having described my improved machine for cutting leather,

What I claim therein asV new and of my invention and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

l. The combination ofthe'cutting-die, rotating bed or block G,ratchet-plate L'dog K, and arm M, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

. 2. The combination, with the vertical operating bar E and die-spindle,of the platen N, supporting spider 0, and ring P, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the eccentric shaft C' and driving-pulley Bprovided with ratchet-teeth c, of the crank S, pawl T, guard V, rods andY, bellcrank lever W, and treadle H, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

HORACE H. BIGELOW. Witnesses:

, OHAs. H. BURLEIGH,

A. E. PEIRGE.

